she was named one of newsweek magazine's 150 women who have shaped the world and a top 10 cnn hero. we're very pleased to have her as a guest here at the chicago conference on big ideas. [applause] >> can i talk? >> yeah. as she describes her project, i want you to in some way to put yourself in her shoes. britain you got the call in the middle of the night, sometimes from a disconnected voice, and you are 21 years old. you just got the love of your life. expand the moment into the mission she is about to describe to you. the audience is yours. >> on may 21, 2007, my life ended. it started out like any other day. i woke up to the ding ding of instant messaging. i ran to my computer and got to see my husband, michael, on the screen. i met him when i was a socially awkward clarinet player in the high school band. it made no sense to me that this gorgeous trombone player would talk to me, let alone to ask me out. but he did. we eventually did it all through high school and college and parted ways to until i received a call from him knowing that he decided to join the army. total surpri